A Change
by MidnightFury03
Summary: What If Queen Tara had other plans for Katherine's life, how will she take it and will Ronin and Nod stay by her side as she rolls through rough tumbles and upsetting times.


_A Change_

 **The cone of white moonlight pooled through the hole in the stone ceiling, it showered over the smoking dull pod, lifting its curse of darkness as the colour returned to its silky-smooth petals. The people awed as sparkles and dots of light circled around the tip of the blossomed pod.**

 **Nod and Ronin walked up to the pod, their boots tapping on the stone floor and their swords swaying at their hips. Katherine walked up beside Nod and smiled down at the pod. She can go home now…but how?**

 **The circle of sparkling dots twirled around the base of the pod then floated towards Mug and Grub, twirling around their suspended eyes as they watched it nuzzle against Ronin's neck. Nod laughed as it tickled his messed up brown hair. Katherine laughed at the scene but stopped as the trail of bright dots stopped in front of her. Silence was mounted in the room as the circle moulded and twisted into Queen Tara.**

" **Tara" Katherine whispered as the shining figure smiled and placed a warm welcoming hand on her shoulder.**

" **I know you want to go home, but you belong here" She spoke turning towards her people "Protect them will you" She turned towards Ronin who smiled "There's that smile" she whispered before turning back to Katherine**

" **Wait, no I…" she stopped as the quen cupped her face and kissed her forehead, her figure vanishing as the trail of shimmering light surrounded her in a spiral. Many leaf man covered their eyes with their cladded arms but as they lowered their limbs they gasped in wonder.**

 **Katherine stood in front of them, no longer in her hoodie and hiking boots, but in a smooth lilac dress that hung to her figure but flowed out a few inches at the bottom, the sleeves opened wide at the end of her long slim arms. White vines crisscrossed on her torso and snow coloured flowers speckled her open flowing hair. Her orange fringe fell over her eyes and resting on her head was a purple and white crown made out of vines and spring roses.**

 **Nod's eyes widened as he viewed the girl who looked beautiful with her hair open and a look of forbidding on her face.**

 **The first Leaf man bowed to his queen followed by another and another before the entire room was filled with bowing figures. Katherine looked up with disbelief painted on her features to see Ronin and Nod staring at her with sympathetic looks before they too bowed down.**

" **This might suck" Nod whispered to is mentor who grunted in response.**

 **The occupants of the room rose to their feet before clapping and cheering.**

" **This calls for a celebration and Nim Galoo is open for all of ya'" Nim shouted as the crowd roared in approval. Soon the room was evacuated as the people went to party at the club. Nod stood up on his feet and felt a hand rest on his shoulder he looked to see Nim standing behind him with his other paw on Ronin's shoulder.**

" **I gave you some time? Now go talk to her" He whispered with a knowing smile and walked out of the stone structure.**

 **Ronin and Nod smiled to the caterpillar before turning to see Katherine sitting on the edge of the pond, her flowing hair sprawled across her clothed back as the pod's vines twirled around her fingers.**

 **Ronin took in a deep breath and walked up to the girl with his pupil following close behind.**

" **Was this supposed to happen" She whispered as they sat around her "I don't know the first thing about being queen, none the less one who can control nature" she spoke as the vines twirled around her arm.**

 **Nod sat facing the girl, he looked over at Ronin who simply sighed in defeat and shook his head.**

" **I must admit; I didn't expect Tara to choose you as queen" Ronin spoke as Katherine's shoulder slumped further in defeat.**

" **But think of the positives"**

" **What are the positives Nod!" She yelled "I'm never going to be able to spend time with my father again without communicating through some machine!" Her arm flailed in the air and the two leaf men kept wincing as she did expecting a tree to come flailing towards them or some vines to throttle them "I'm never going to be big again and i-I" She stopped defeated by her own emotions.**

 **Her slim white arms gripped her forehead as it throbbed in pain, she breathed deeply and her hands dropped to her sides.**

" **Sorry, I got carried away"**

" **You shouldn't apologise, to be honest we can't comfort you in anyway, but maybe what you get is good enough" Ronin said.**

" **Yeah, you can still see your dad, he knows you're alive he knows you're safe, maybe that's good enough"**

 **Katherine lifted her head to look at them "Maybe you're right, but why…"**

 **Katherine stopped short as a shout rang in the air, the three shot to their feet and swords were out, glinting in the moon's light. Silence fell upon them as they waited and waited. The wind was still, the animals were quiet, nothing disturbed the silence.**

 **A jet black arrow sailed through the sky, it entered the structure and missed Kathrine's shoulder by a hair.**

 **Nod and Ronin sheathed their swords, the blades glistening in the moonlight as the took defensive stances in front of Katherine. A black crow burst into the entrance, swiping its claws at the tiny people as it circled around the stone hall, biting at the swords flashing on its beak. It stumbled into a landing and revealed a grubby Mandrake on its back, his face was contorted with anger and his smile specked with madness.**

 **He stumbled off the crows back "Wow, the stomper! Are you serious? Tara certainly was crazy" he yelled "You will DIE" He swiped his wooden staff insanely, the fungi end straying too close to them.**

" **Katherine get out of here!" Nod yelled, blocking Mandrake's staff, the fungi bulge bubbling in his face as the madman's force knocked him onto his back.**

" **No I…"**

" **Katherine! Get out of here, NOW" Ronin yelled as he ran into Mandrake moving to let Nod back on his feet. But the young Pupil was grounded when Ronin was thrown off and crashed into him. The two leaf men thumped into the stone wall, groaning in pain as Mandrake walked up to them, a wicked smile and his staff raised.**

 **Katherine felt anger serge through her body, she raised her right arm as a tingling sensation fluttered in her limbs.**

 **Mandrake positioned his hand to drop but was taken off guard as a gigantic tree root knocked him off balance, another came swinging towards him as he was slammed against the stone wall. Just before his body fell to the floor, vines curled around his arms and legs pinning him to the wall as Katherine's angered face appeared in his line of shot. He turned to see the two leaf men staring in shock at the two.**

" **That's for Tara"**

 **She raised her left arm and flicked her fingers, the vines loosening dramatically. But before Mandrake could make is escape he was lifted and slammed into the opposite wall with enough force to knock the air out of his lungs.**

" **That's for what you did to the forest"**

 **She raised both arms as the lilac leaves fell back to her elbows, Water surged from the river and engulfed him in a water ball before splitting apart and splashing onto the cold stone floor. The water pooled around the battered bodies of the stunned Leaf men who did nothing but watch the enraged Queen**

" **That was for all the people you hurt"**

 **Mandrake stumbled into a steady position but as his eye sight adjusted to normal he got a quick scene of Katherine's anger painted face and her curled fist before pain erupted in his nose and he fell bac against the floor, hitting his head and rendering himself unconscious.**

" **And that's for hurting my friends"**

 **She stayed there for a few short seconds before he feet splashed against the wet stone floor as she made her way to her friends.**

" **That was AWESOME" Nod yelled, making Katherine blush slightly "Got some guts you know, taking up Mandrake like that"**

" **You did good" Ronin said with a smile as Katherine nodded her head politely.**

 **She cast her gaze down to Nod's blooded arm, she moved to the side, placing two fingers on Nod's wrist and two fingers of her other hand in the pooling water.**

 **Ronin's eyes widened as the water travelled up Tara arms and down to Nod's bruises, as the water flowed over the scrapes and cuts instantly healing them.**

" **Wow, you must be more powerful than Tara" Ronin whispered as the two males stared at the young queen.**

" **Maybe" she said with a nervous smile, she instantly stood up and held out a hand "Come, people will start worrying where we are, and I heard that the queens guest get free food"**

" **I'm in" Nod said excitedly as he ran to his bird excitedly, his body healed from the beating.**

 **Katherine kneeled beside Ronin and repeated her actions as the commander soon stood and offered the queen a ride, which she gratefully accepted.**

 **The party was wild and everyone celebrated the passing of Queen Tara and the coronation of Queen Katherine.**

 **Nod walked through the crowds of dancing people, a cup of warm honey and milk in his hand. A bright smile painted his face but it faltered as he looked up, seeing Katherine outside the window of the deserted fifth floor.**

 **He trudged up the flights of stairs until he got to the surprisingly quiet fifth floor. He peeked out from the window to see Katherine sitting on the railing of little balcony. He swung his legs on the other side and startled the queen. He laughed as he watched her visibly calm.**

" **Trying to kill the queen are you, giving me a heart attack" she said through a smile as Nod simply shrugged and sent her one of his flashing smiles.**

" **What are you doing out here, the party's inside" he said gesturing to the window and the hollow club inside, he slowly walked up to her and flipped his legs over the vine rails.**

" **Not in the mood for a party I guess" she said with sadness in her tone but a smile lingering on her face.**

" **Try it" Nod said passing over the cup which she took a hesitant sip and hummed in delight.**

" **Nice, what is it?" she asked passing it back as Nod drained the drink and placed it on the landing of the balcony.**

" **Warm milk and wild bee Honey" he said in a cheering tone but his smile faltered as they gazed into each other's eyes, transfixed by the colour of both of them.**

 **Katherine cleared her throat and turned her body around, landing on the balcony with a light thud "We should get back inside" she said with a blush evident on her pale cheeks.**

" **I'm sorry" Nod blurted as he stepped onto the landing**

" **For what?"**

" **All this, I'm sorry"**

 **Katherine felt a warm smile smear over her face as she spoke up "Hey, it won't be easy but I'll get the hang of it, and besides it's not goodbye is it, none of this was your fault, it wasn't anyone's fault, it's just the fate I had destined for me and I think this isn't going to be too bad"**

 **As Katherine spoke she subconsciously walked closer until their faces were inches away from each other. She stared into his warm hazel eyes as he gazed into her vibrant green ones. She felt his hot breath against her lips as his index finger cupped her chin and lifted her head, his own bending down as their lips met.**

 **Katherine melted into the kiss, her body went numb as her long fingers rested against his broad shoulders. She bent her head sideways and deepened the connection as her eyes closed in unison with his.**

 **Nod felt as if he was on fire, his stomach fluttered, churned and dropped at strange times. He wound his arm around her waist while his hand rested at the back of her neck, caressing her smooth orange locks.**

 **The broke slowly and stared at each other's eyes, panting sweet hot breaths on each other's faces Nod engulfed her in a warm hug, breaking away and leading her inside with a sweet smile and a fluttering heart.**

 **What neither of them knew was that Ronin was watching from the window a level higher, with a smile on his face and a new tingling warmth in his chest, looking to see the Stars, shining bright and brilliant.**


End file.
